Debate contribution: Baby Loss Certificate Scheme and Pathology Service

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Robinson on 15 April 2024.

MLA

Mr Alan Robinson

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

15 April 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Baby Loss Certificate Scheme and Pathology Service

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4483137

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move the following amendment:

The continued absence of a local perinatal and paediatric pathology service is extremely disappointing. There is no doubt that it places an additional burden on bereaved parents at a devastating time in their lives. It should not be the case that a mother faces the stark choice between accompanying her baby to another part of the United Kingdom for a post mortem, with all the upheaval that that causes, or being separated from them at a time of immense grief. My party believes that the Department should continue to pursue all options to reinstate a regional service in Northern Ireland. Our citizens deserve to have timely and reliable access to that provision in their own communities, in familiar surroundings in the NHS and in close proximity to the vital support networks of friends and family, which are incredibly important. That does not mean that my party opposes greater cross-border cooperation in this area. The problems of training, recruitment and staffing shortages are shared throughout the British Isles and internationally. Finding common solutions that allow both our jurisdictions to attract, retain and, perhaps, share skills and expertise will go a long way to supporting a long-term answer to those issues. There needs to be a recognition that the scarcity of skilled health professionals remains a key obstacle to the restoration of a dedicated service in the Province or the concept of an all-Ireland network service for perinatal and paediatric pathology services. It is our understanding that, prior to the loss of the Belfast Trust service, contact was made with the Irish authorities to examine the feasibility of providing an in-reach service in Northern Ireland. At that point, that was not deemed to be viable, due to capacity constraints. There has been little evidence to date that that position has changed. In light of that, it is crucial that we do not raise false expectations as to the likelihood of a cross-border service, particularly in the short term. It would be wrong to go down that route only for it to emerge that the current skills and infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland do not have the headroom to absorb the increased demand. In such a case, we could be in a situation where bereaved parents faced broadly similar wait times to those that are experienced at present. Therefore, whilst we agree that this must be a priority for the Department going forward, it is also a time for a careful and evidence-based approach. No option should be off the table, but parental choice on whether to access this service, wherever it resides, must be respected in all scenarios. It will certainly be helpful as well if the Health Minister, at some point, by way of ministerial questions or whatever, can answer a number of points. Is there still an open-ended or rolling recruitment process ongoing in this field? How many consultant posts in this field have been successfully recruited in GB or the Irish Republic in the same period? Is feedback from parents, staff and funeral directors who have been used or work as part of the interim pathology service in Alder Hey still being captured? What action has been taken on the back of that? What proportion of parents chose not to accompany their baby? How does that square with rates prior to the loss of the regional service in 2019? Lastly, have wait times for post-mortems and turnaround times for results improved since 2019? How does that trajectory compare with outcomes in the Irish Republic? In relation to the second element of the motion, my party supports a baby loss certificate scheme. The recognition of the loss of a baby, no matter how, or how early, it occurs, is a matter of profound sensitivity and importance. The introduction of a baby loss certificate in Northern Ireland is not just about a document. It is about acknowledgement, compassion and support for those who have endured the unimaginable. The loss of a child before 24 weeks is a silent sorrow that many parents carry without the solace of formal recognition. While England has taken steps to offer a voluntary baby loss certificate and other parts of the UK are facing a lobby to provide the same, Northern Ireland has yet to implement this compassionate measure. Such a certificate would be a symbol and a tangible expression of the loss that parents feel. It says to those who are grieving, "Your loss is real, your baby's existence was significant and your pain is acknowledged by society." It is a step towards healing and a gesture that can provide comfort during a time of indescribable pain. Implementing a baby loss certificate scheme is not about bureaucracy but about humanity. It is about standing with those who feel invisible in their grief and saying, "We see you, we honour you and your child, and we are listening to you." This place is back with a lot of hope and fanfare, so let us be the voice of the voiceless. Let us bring this change to Northern Ireland, because every precious life, no matter how brief, leaves an imprint on this world and deserves to be remembered.

869 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:00 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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